Radio construction



Al?fil 8, 1941- E. F. MCDONALD, JR., ETAL 2.2371886 RADIO CONSTRUCTIONFiled July lO, 1959 Patented Apr. 8, 1941 2,237,886 RADIO CONSTRUCTIONEugene F.

McDonald, Jr., Gustafson, River Forest Ill.

Chicago, and Gilbert E.

, assllnors to Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago, lll., a corporation ofIllinois Application July 10, 1939, Serial No. 283,544

4 Claims.

This invention relates to radio construction, and more particularlyconcerns the construction of the casing for radio receiving apparatus,and the provisions for placing and supporting the parts of suchapparatus within said casing.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved radioconstruction, comprising a chassis and a loop antenna enclosed in acasing of noveland artistic design, in which construction the chassisand loop antenna are imerted in the open bottom of the casing and arelocated and secured in their proper positions in a simple and practicalmanner to provide i'ortheir easy removal and replacement.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a iront elevational view of a radio receiving set,constructed in accordance with our invention; n

Fig. 2 is a bottom view oi the device, illustrating the novel i'orrn oithe casina, the compact and accessible arrangement oi the radioapparatus, and the siinplined method and means tor placing and removablysecuring said apparatus in proper position in the casina;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken upon the line .fe-d oi Fig.2, further illustrating the features of the invention just mentioned inconnection with Fig. 2; and

Fig. i is a View similar to Fie. 3, upon a reduced scale, illustrating amodified construction einbodying the present invention.

A prominent novel feature of the construction of the casing herein showncomprises the en larged rearward portion thereof, which, in addition toits ornamental value, provides a housing for the loop antenna and servesas a substantial structural reinforcement in the casing, while the novelconstruction and arrangement of the radio apparatus are designed .toinsure its proper installation within the casing, provide convenientaccess to the several elements thereof, and facilitaterits easy removalfrom, and replacement in, position. These and other advantages willappear from the following description.

In the drawing, the casing,r I is shown as a onepiece shell, open at thebottom, having" a substantially rectangular forward portion 2 forhousing the major division of the radio receiving apparatus, a somewhathigher and wider rearward portion 3 for housing the loop antenna, andwith the front wall provided with the usual loudspeaker opening orgrille 4, dial aperture 5, and openings 6 and 1 for the tuning andvolume adjusting means, respectively. The one-piece construction, therectangular shape of the forward portion 2, and the particular locationof the several openings 4, 5, i and 'l are illustrative only and may bevaried as desired or as required by the shape of lthe enclosed apparatusand the arrangement of the parts thereof. It will be noted that ftherearward portion 3 projects upwardly along the top and outwardly at eachside of the forward portion i, forming a stiffening flange for theentire casina and a pocket-like receptacle for the loop antenna unit t.The chassis 9 comprises a dat table having a flange l0 extending alonethe rearward edge thereof, and this flange is provided wlth a pluralityci abutments li, three heine shown in the drawing (Figure 2).

Freierabiy, though not necearily, the casina Ii and the chassis d areiorined as die-castings, thereby incur-ina eractness in the location andshape oi all openines and in the placing oi parts. .d slight downward:Flare is given the upright walls oi the casino to facilitate removal ofthe core and oi the cast casinar from the die or mold. The ar rendementoi some oi? the elements oi the radio receiving apparatus upon thechassis t is il1ustra-ted more or less diaerarmnaticaily in Figures 2and 3, where iii indicates the loud-speaker, it the tubes, it the.tuning condenser, it the tuning shait, it the tuning lrnob, il thecombined'cir cuit switch and volume control unit, and it the itnurledadjusting wheel therefor.

.lis herein shown, the loop antenna unit d comprises a hat spiral coilof insulated wire, the upper and tower turns of which are indicated atI9 (Figure d). The coil or loop it is supported in any preferred mannerwithin a substantially rectaneuiar framework, upon and around which isWound the spaced horizontal turns of a grounded wire shield, indicatedat ill. The exact construction of the framework is immaterial, but, inthe particular form herein shown, the loop is held between openspacer-frames 2| and 22 of cardboard, and the outer frame-members 23 and24 are secured along their upper and side edge-parts -to thespacer-frames 2i and 22. The framemembers 23 and 24 may also be ofcardboard, but are of sumcient thickness to form substantial shouldersalong .their upper horizontal edgesas at 25 and 2B. Preferably, theframe-members 23 and 26 are provided with a number of openings 21 .toaiiord ventilation and avoid warping or twisting, and for other purposesnot necessary to mention, and the entire unit is surrounded from top tobottom by the windings of he shield 20, which may be cemented orotherwise securely held in proper spaced arrangement upon theframe-members.

Upon the inside of the end walls of the forward portion 2, the casing isprovided with corresponding abutments 28 and 29. In the arrangementillustrated in Figures 1 to 3, these abutments, which serve as upperpositioning stops for the chassis 9, extend downwardly from the top acomparatively short distance, since the chassis is arranged near the topof the casing in what may be termed inverted position, while, in thearrangement illustrated in Figure 4, wherein the chassis is shown in thecustomary position near the bottom of the casing, the aforesaidabutments extend downwardly a considerable distance further in order toserve the same purpose as upper positioning stops for the chassis inthat position.

Referring, first, to the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 3, avertically extending front plate is illustrated at 30, having aplurality of rearwardly turned ears 3I at its upper horizontal edge anda, forwardly turned flange 32 along a substantial portion of its loweredge. Ears 3I are secured, as by screw-bolts 33, to the forward edge-Vpart of chassis 9, and flange 32 is secured by screws 34 to abutments35, which project inwardly near the bottom of the front wall of casingI. Plate 30, besides thus serving as the support for the forward part ofchassis '9, also carries the loud-speaker I2 and the tuning condenserI4, and constitutes a backing-plate for the tuning dial 38 (Figure 1).Flanges, such as the lone shown at 31 (Figure 3), are struck up from theplate, one at each side of the tuning dial and, while serving asdial-light shields, also act as stiffening flanges for the plate-supportand bear against the front wall of the casing as front positioning stopsfor the chassis. The rearward part of chassis 9 is supported by theabutments Il on flange I0, which rest upon the shoulder 25 of the loopantenna unit 8, and the loop antenna unit is in turn supported withinthe rearward portion 3 of the casing by a pair of shoe-clips 38 and 39.Said shoe-clips box the lower corner portions of the unit 8 and aresecured by screws 40 and 4I to respective abutments 42 and 43, whichabutments may extend as solid end walls of the pocket-like rearwardportion 3, terminating a short distance above the bottom of the casing.

When the radio apparatus is to be inserted and secured in position, thecasing is turned bottom upwards, and the chassis is lowered within thecasing to rest upon abutments 28 and 29 and is then moved forwardlyuntil the flanges 31 contact the front wall, at which position thetuning shaft I5 and adjusting wheel I8 will have been projected theproper distance through their respective openings 6 and 1, and theloud-speaker I2 and tuning dial 36 will be in their proper positionswith respect to the grille 4 and dial aperture 5, respectively. The loopantenna 8 is then lowered into the pocket-like receptacle formed by therearward portion 3 of the casing until the shoulder 25 rests upon theabutments I I on flange I0 of the chassis 9. Screws 34 are then insertedand the flange 32 thereby secured to abutments 35, and shoe-clips 38 and39 are applied over the arenoso tively, the top and back of thepocket-like receptacle, and that the engagement of abutments II of thechassis 9 with;shoulder 25 is such that the chassis is held lockedthereby upwardly against abutments 28 and 29 and forwardly to hold theflanges 31 against the front wall of the casing. Endwlse displacement isprevented, of course, by the screws 34, 40 and 4I.

Referring, now. to the arrangement shown in Figure 4, it will be seenthat the construction of the casing I is substantially the same as shownin Figures 1 to 3, differing therefrom only in the location of theopening 1 in the front wall to correspond with the different location ofthe knurled adjusting wheel I8, and in the downward extension of theabutments 28 and 29, as previously mentioned, to act as upperpositioning stops for the chassis 9, here shown arranged near the bottomof the casing, instead of near the top thereof as in Figure 3. Thevertically extending front plate 44 serves the same purposes as theplate 38 of the previously described construction, but the rearwardlyturned ears 45, which are secured to the forward edge-part of chassis 9,are here located near the bottom of the plate, and the upper horizontaledge-part of the plate engages the forward edge-part of a protectiveshield 46, preferably of asbestos or other heatresisting material, the`rearward part of which is shown tucked into the upper pocket of therearward portion 3 of the casing and engaged by the upper part of theloop antenna unit 8, serving as a cushion therefor.

In this lower arrangement of the chassis 9, the abutments II on theflange I0 rest upon a lipflange 41 provided along the bottom edge-partof the loop antenna unit 8. This lip-flange may be the extending edge ofa bottom plate of unit 8, as indicated in dotted lines, or it may beformed upon the bottom edge-part of the inner framemember 23, as shownin full lines, and shoeclips 48 are of slightly different form, since,in this arrangement, the chassis prevents forward displacement of thelower part of the loop antenna unit.

The placing and securing of the radio apparatus in the casing issubstantially the same in the arrangement of Figure 4 as has beendescribed in connection with the arrangement of Figures 1 to 3. Thecasing I is turned bottom upwards, and the chassis is lowered into theforward portion 2 to rest upon abutments 23 and 29 and is then movedforwardly to project the tuning shaft I5 and adjusting wheel I8 throughtheir respective openings 8 and 1 until the anges 31 contact the frontwall, and the loop antenna unit is then lowered into the pocket-likerearward portion 3 of the casing until the lip-flange 41 rests uponabutments II of the flange IIl of the chassis. Shoe-clips 48 are thenapplied to the bottom corner portions of the unit 8 and the screws 34,40 and 4I are inserted and screwed down to hold the parts clampedthereby to their respective abutments, as previously described. Thus,when the casing is turned right side up, chassis 9 is held upcornerportions of the loop antenna unit 8 and screwed down upon abutments 42and 43 by the respective screws 40 and 4I. Upon connecting the wiringleads (not shown) of the loop and shield and placing and securing tuningknob I6 upon the outer end of tuning shaft I5, the installation of theapparatus in the casing is complete. It will be observed that the topand shoulwardly against abutments 28 and 29 and forwardly with flanges31 contacting the front wall by the engagement of abutments II withlipfiange 41, and loop antenna unit 8 is supported and secured inposition by the shoe-clips 43, with its upper horizontal edge-part heldin the cushion formed in the upper pocket of the rearward portion 3 bythe shield 46.

der 28 of the loop antenna unit 8 engage, respec- 75 In the arrangementof the radio apparatus as shown in Figure 4, the circuit wiring andother elements (not shown) below the chassistable would be exposed, so abottom cover-plate 4I is applied and held in position by the screws Il,4I and 4I, while, inthe inverted arrangement of the apparatus shown inFigures 1 to 3, said circuit wiring and other elements would beprotected by the top of the casing.

We claim:

l. Radio construction comprising a chassis.

radio apparatus carried by said chassis, a loop antenna unit, and anopen bottom casing; said casing having a forward portion housing saidchassis and said radio apparatus, and a rearward portion extending aboveand at each side beyond said forward portion engaging and housing saidloop antenna unit, said chassis and said loop antenna unit beinginserted in said casing through the open bottom thereof, and meanslocated within said casing near the bottom thereof removably andindividually securlng said chassis and said loop antenna unit to saidcasing.

2. Radio construction comprising a. chassis,

-a loop antenna unit, and a casing; means comprised in said chassis andsaid loop antenna unit cooperating in the unattached support of .one

by the other thereof, and means comprised in said casing to which saidchassis and said loop antenna unit are each removably secured.

3. Radio construction comprising a chassis, a loop antenna unit, and acasing; said casing having a forward portion housing said chassis andprovided with abutments to which said chassis is removably secured, anda rearward portion extending above and at each side beyond said forwardportion housing said loop antenna unit and provided with abutments towhich said unit is removably secured, and abutments upon said chassisand said loop antenna unit cooperating through their unattaehedengagement with each other in the positioning and support of saidchassis and said unit.

4. Radio construction comprising a chassis, a loop antenna unit, and acasing, said casing having a forward portion housing said chassis and arearward portion housing said loop antenna unit, means supporting theforward por-- tion of said chassis upon said casing, means supportingsaid loop antenna unit upon said casinK, and means supporting therearward por- Y tion of'said chassis upon said loop antenna unit.

EUGENE F. MCDONALD, JR. GILBERT E. GUSTAFSON.

